Report  of  the 

COMMISSION  ON  LATIN-AMERICA 


OF  THE 

World’s  Sunday-school  Association 

Presented  at  the  World’s  Seventh  Sunday-school  Convention, 
Zurich,  Switzerland,  July  8-15,  1913 


The  Commission  on  Latin -America: 

Chairman:  Mr.  Robert  E.  Speer,  New  York. 

Secretary:  Rev.  Herbert  S.  Harris,  Chicago. 

Rev.  Carey  Bonner,  56  Old  Bailey,  London,  E.  C.,  England. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  E.  F.  Every,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  Lucien  L.  Kinsolving,  D.  D.,  Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  Brazil. 

Bishop  W.  R.  Lambuth,  D.  D.,  810  Broadway,  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Bishop  Homer  C.  Stuntz,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina. 

Rev.  Chas.  Inwood,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  England. 

Rev.  G.  Campbell  Morgan,  D.  D.,  London,  England. 

Rev.  E.  J.  D.  Hercus,  M.  A.,  London,  England. 

Rev.  John  W.  Butler,  D.  D.,  Gante  Street  5,  Mexico,  D.  F. 

Rev.  Arcadio  Morales,  D.  D.,  Mexico,  D.  F. 

Rev.  H.  C.  Tucker,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil. 

Rev.  Alvaro  Reis,  D.  D.,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil. 

Mr.  Charles  J.  Ewald,  Montevideo,  Uruguay. 

Rev.  Charles  W.  Drees,  D.  D.,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Fleming,  D.  D.,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina. 

Rev.  Francis  G.  Penzotti,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina. 

Rev.  W.  B.  Boomer,  Concepcion,  Chile. 

Rev.  Thomas  B.  Wood,  D.  D.,  Lima,  Peru. 

The  Commission  Report  herein  given  appears  (in  part)  in  “World-Wide  Sun- 
day-school Work,”  the  Official  Report  of  the  World’s  Seventh  Sunday-school 
Convention,  which  contains  also  similar  reports  of  the  Commissions  on  Conti- 
nental Europe,  South  Africa,  India,  the  Orient  and  Mohammedan  Lands.  The 
volume  contains  664  pages,  with  seventy  pages  of  illustrations,  and  may  be  had 
for  $1  from  the  World’s  Sunday-school  Association  (American  Section),  Metro- 
politan Tower,  New  York  City.  For  information  as  to  this  and  other  pamphlet 
reprints  of  the  Commission  Reports,  apply  to  the  same  address. 

1 


2 


Rev.  W.  B.  Allison,  Guatemala  City,  Guatemala,  C.  A. 

Rev.  H.  R.  Moseley,  D.  D.,  El  Cristo,  Cuba. 

Rev.  T.  B.  Ray,  D.  D.,  Richmond,  Virginia. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  its  appointment  the  commission  on  Sunday- 
school  work  in  Latin-America  addressed  a series  of  questions  to  Chris- 
tian workers  throughout  the  entire  Latin-American  field.  These 
inquiries  were  sent  to  261  missionaries  and  native  leaders  of  the 
Christian  Church  and  91  replies  have  been  received,  representing 
Mexico,  Central  America,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  every  South  Amer- 
ican Republic  with  the  exception  of  Paraguay.  As  nearly  as  we  can 
estimate  there  are  in  all  these  Latin-American  lands  1,723  Sunday- 
schools  with  9,147  officers  and  teachers,  and  91,672  scholars. 


The  Latin-American  Field 

Let  us  first  briefly  survey  the  extent  of  the  Latin-American  field. 
This  field  falls  naturally  into  three  divisions : first,  Mexico  and 

Central  America;  second,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico;  and  third,  the  area 
of  South  America  proper.  The  area  of  Mexico  and  Central  America 
is  approximately  1,000,000  square  miles,  and  the  population  18,000,000. 
The  area  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  is  approximately  40,000  square  miles, 
with  a population  of  3,000,000.  The  area  of  South  America  is  7,000,000 
square  miles,  with  a population  at  the  most  generous  estimate  of 
48,000,000. 

In  Mexico  there  are  19  missionary  societies  at  work,  with  87 
ordained  foreign  missionaries,  and  520  native  workers,  and  a communi- 
cant church  membership  of  approximately  25,000.  In  its  population 
of  14,000,000,  accordingly,  Mexico  has  one  ordained  foreign  missionary 
to  160,000  of  the  population.  Central  America  with  a population  of 
over  4,000,000  has  71  ordained  foreign  missionaries,  304  native  workers, 
and  8,240  communicants,  or  one  ordained  missionary  to  every  60,000 
of  the  population;  most  of  the  missionary  statistics  given  in  the  report 
are  taken  from  those  gathered  for  Edinburgh  Conference  of  1910. 

Cuba  with  a population  of  2,000,000  has  16  missionary  societies  at 
work.  There  are  50  ordained  missionaries,  with  137  native  workers, 
and  9,173  church  members.  Porto  Rico  with  one-half  the  population 
of  Cuba  has  54  ordained  missionaries  and  100  native  workers  and  4,692 
church  members.  Taking  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  together,  accordingly, 
there  is  one  ordained  missionary  to  28.840  of  the  population. 

South  America  proper  is  a field  of  enormous  areas,  but  with  a 
widely  extended  population.  The  entire  population  of  South  America, 


3 


for  example,  is  just  about  that  of  Japan,  and  yet  Japan  is  nearly  one- 
third  of  the  area  of  Venezuela  alone. 

Mr.  Barrett  has  set  forth  approximately  the  vast  reaches  of  these 
great  South  American  lands: 

In  Argentina  could  be  placed  all  that  part  of  our  country  east  of 
the  Mississippi  plus  the  first  tier  of  states  west  of  it. 

Bolivia  is  half  a dozen  times  larger  than  the  combined  areas  of 
New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware. 

Into  Chile  could  be  put  four  Nebraskas. 

Peru  would  obscure,  if  placed  over  them  on  the  map,  California, 
Oregon,  Washington,  Nevada,  Arizona,  Utah  and  Idaho. 

Paraguay  is  four  times  larger  than  the  State  of  Indiana,  while  little 
Uruguay  could  wrap  within  its  limits  North  Dakota. 

Texas  could  be  twice  lost  in  Venezuela  and  still  leave  room  for 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 

Brazil  exceeds  the  whole  United  States  in  size  by  an  area  of  200,000 
square  miles. 

On  the  globe  Ecuador  does  not  spread  like  a giant,  but  it  could  hold 
New  England,  New  York  and  New  Jersey. 

Colombia  has  an  area  of  Germany,  France,  Holland  and  Belgium 
combined. 

When  one  turns  to  the  population  he  finds  the  very  low  percentage 
of  population  to  the  area  in  South  America  estimating  it  by  the  square 
kilometer.  The  population  of  Belgium  is  231  to  the  unit 

England  “ 133  “ “ “ 

Japan  “ 113  “ “ “ 

Persia  “ 5.4  “ “ “ 

but  when  you  drop  down  to  South  America,  the  density  of  population, 
taking  South  America  as  a whole,  is  about  one-half  that  of  Persia. 
In  Colombia  3,  in  Venezuela  2.5;  Chile,  which  is  the  most  densely 
populated  of  the  South  American  states,  has  4.4  to  the  square  kilo- 
meter. 

In  order  to  understand  the  South  American  situation,  however, 
we  must  distinguish  between  two  South  Americas ; one  may  be  of 
the  four  progressive  nations,  Brazil,  Uruguay,  Argentina,  Chile;  and 
the  other  comprising  the  northern  and  western  republics  and  Para- 
guay, as  yet  largely  untouched  by  colonization.  The  four  republics 
in  the  progressive  section  include  two-thirds  of  the  population  of 
South  America  and  almost;  two-thirds  of  the  area,  but  they  carry  on 
seven-eighths  of  the  trade  of  the  continent.  Practically  all  of  the  im- 
migration of  South  America  has  been  to  these  four  countries.  Buenos 


4 


Aires,  the  fourth  largest  city  in  the  western  hemisphere,  and  the 
largest  city  in  the  world  south  of  the  equator,  with  a population  of 
over  a million  and  a quarter,  as  great  as  that  of  Baltimore,  Boston 
and  Denver  combined,  and  embracing  one-fifth  of  the  entire  popu- 
lation of  the  country,  has  a predominantly  foreign  element,  nearly  a 
quarter  of  its  population  being  Italian.  In  Brazil  the  German  element 
numbers  approximately  one-half  a million,  and  increasingly  the  south- 
ern states  of  Brazil  from  Sao  Paulo  to  the  border  offer  a great  oppor- 
tunity for  reaching  the  European  population  which  stands  in  urgent 
need  of  the  friendship  and  sympathy  of  the  churches  of  the  older 
lands. 

In  the  progressive  section  of  South  America  there  are  146  ordained 
foreign  missionaries,  714  South  American  workers,  and  40,244  com- 
municant members  of  the  Protestant  churches.  In  the  backward 
nations  there  are  35  ordained  foreign  missionaries,  124  South  American 
workers,  and  1,073  communicant  members  of  the  Protestant  churches. 
In  other  words,  in  the  progressive  section  there  is  one  ordained 
foreign  missionary  to  235,000  of  the  population,  and  in  the  backward 
section  one  to  457,000. 

The  people  of  Latin-America  have  a great  national  inheritance  and 
they  possess  many  noble  qualities  of  character.  Speaking  generally, 
they  are  warm  hearted,  courteous,  friendly,  kindly  to  children, 
respectful  to  religious  things,  patriotic  to  the  very  soul,  but  their 
leading  men  lament  the  great  evils  of  Latin-American  life  which  must 
be  dealt  with. 

As  we  know,  only  Christianity,  making  the  life  of  nations  clean  at 
the  springs,  raising  up  new  generations  of  enlightened  pure-hearted 
children,  can  deal  with  these  evils  efficiently.  The  official  statistics, 
both  of  morals  and  education,  reveal  these  deep  needs  which  weigh 
so  heavily  upon  the  hearts  of  the  best  men  in  Latin-America. 

According  to  the  census  of  Brazil  in  1890,  2,603,489,  or  between 
one-fifth  and  one-sixth  of  the  population  are  returned  as  illegitimate. 
In  Ecuador  Mr.  W.  E.  Curtis  says  that  more  than  one-half  of  the 
population  are  of  illegitimate  birth.  At  one  time  in  Paraguay,  after 
the  long  war,  it  was  estimated  that  the  percentage  of  illegitimate 
births  was  over  90  per  cent.  In  Venezuela,  according  to  the  official 
statistics  for  1906,  there  were  that  year  47,606  illegitimate  births,  or 
68.8  per  cent.  In  Chile  the  general  percentage  is  33  per  cent,  and  the 
highest  in  any  department  a little  over  66  per  cent.  In  England  the 
percentage  is  6 per  cent.,  and  in  France  and  Belgium,  7 per  cent.  The 
deliverances  of  the  Plenary  Council  of  the  Latin-American  Bishops 


5 


held  in  Rome  in  1899  bitterly  condemned  the  conditions  which  they 
represent  as  so  widespread  and  deplorable. 

The  educational  needs  are  likewise  great.  In  Bolivia,  out  of  a 
total  population  of  school  age  of  approximately  400,000,  there  were 
41,588  in  school.  In  Peru,  out  of  a total  of  approximately  700,000 
there  were  100,814  in  school.  In  the  United  States,  out  of  a school 
population  between  five  and  fourteen  years  of  16,954,357,  there  were 
10,361,721  in  school. 

The  issue  for  June  23,  1909,  of  O Estado  de  Sao  Paulo,  the  leading 
newspaper  in  Sao  Paulo,  contained  a letter  from  a correspondent  be- 
moaning the  delinquency  of  Brazil  in  the  education  of  her  people. 
In  Brazil,  he  said,  only  28  out  of  each  1,000  of  the  population  were 

in  school;  in  Paraguay,  47;  in  Chile,  53;  in  Uruguay,  79;  in  Argen- 

tina, 96.  In  the  Argentine,  out  of  a population  of  6,200,000,  597,203 
or  9.632  per  cent,  were  in  school.  In  Brazil,  out  of  19,910,646  (his 
figure)  only  565,942  or  2.842  per  cent.  In  the  United  States,  19  per 
cent,  of  the  entire  population  are  in  school;  in  Germany,  over  16  per 
cent.;  in  Japan  over  12  per  cent.  In  other  words,  about  four  times 
as  large  a proportion  of  the  American  population  are  in  school  as  of 
the  entire  population  of  South  America. 

The  result  in  popular  illiteracy  is  just  what  would  inevitably 
result  from  such  neglect.  The  facts  can  be  made  real  to  us  by  home 
comparison  better  than  in  any  other  way.  The  average  illiteracy 
in  the  American  nation  is  ten  per  cent,  and  a fraction  over.  If  we 

include  all  the  children  under  ten  years  of  age  who  are  out  of  the 

school,  we  have  a total  illiteracy  in  the  United  States  of  about 
sixteen  per  cent.  According  to  the  last  official  census,  the  proportion 
of  illiteracy  in  the  Republic  of  Brazil  was  eighty-five  per  cent.,  includ- 
ing children  under  six  years  of  age. 

To  realize  the  breadth  of  the  need  of  religious  education  in  Latin- 
America  we  need  to  remember  also  the  great  Indian  populations  for 
which  practically  no  such  work  has  as  yet  been  undertaken.  Here 
and  there  the  Franciscans,  Capuchins  and  Dominicans  and  others 
have  carried  on  their  work,  but  anything  like  Bible  teaching  is  prac- 
tically unknown  among  these  great  Indian  populations.  How  many 
Indians  there  may  be  in  South  America  is  open  to  dispute.  The 
following  table  gives  an  estimate  which  errs,  if  at  all,  on  the  side  of 
excess:  Brazil,  1,300,000;  Argentina,  30,000;  Paraguay,  50,000;  Chile, 
102,118;  Bolivia,  900,000;  Peru,  1,700,000;  Ecuador,  1,000,000;  Colom- 
bia, 250,000.  There  are  a few  missions  working  among  the  Indians 
in  Chaco,  in  Chile,  in  Bolivia,  and  in  Peru,  but  practically  nothing  is 


6 


done  for  the  Indians  of  the  Amazon,  and  what  has  been  begun 
is  woefully  inadequate  among  the  large  Indian  population  of  Bolivia, 
Peru  and  Ecuador. 

There  are  savages  among  these  Indians,  but  they  are  not  unapproach- 
able. The  greater  difficulties  are  due  to  climate  and  the  geographical 
inaccessibility  of  the  people  and  to  the  moral  and  spiritual  need,  but 
these  are  precisely  the  reasons  for  our  going  to  them.  The  South 
American  governments  have  not  sought  to  do  much  among  them,  and 
the  rubber  trade  and  their  enterprises  have  despoiled  them.  Grue- 
some stories  are  told  of  their  exploitation  in  the  rubber  regions. 
Work  among  the  Quiehuas  and  Aymaras  is  more  hopeful  than  among 
our  North  American  Indians,  and  adequate  educational  and  evan- 
gelistic work  among  them  would  surely  effect  in  a few  generations 
greater  improvements  than  have  been  wrought  among  them  by  the 
agencies  which  have  controlled  them  for  the  past  four  hundred  years. 

The  South  American  Indians  on  the  Andean  plateau  are  a patient, 
saddened,  hopeless  people.  What  the  London  Times  says  of  the  Peru- 
vian Indians  might  be  said  in  greater  or  less  measure  of  all  these 
peoples  from  Venezuela  down  through  Bolivia: 

“The  Indians  of  Peru  were  never  the  fine  fighters  that  the  Arau- 
canians  were,  with  the  wild  love  of  liberty  that  led  the  warriors  of 
that  race  to  their  greatest  deeds;  but  they  certainly  produced  men  of 
military  genius  in  the  days  before  the  Conquest,  men  who  were  not 
mere  fighters,  but  were  great  ‘organizers  of  victory,’  masters  of 
strategy,  and,  in  a word,  scientific  soldiers  of  the  modern  type.  Essen- 
tially, however,  they  were  a peace-loving  people;  and  so  they  have  re- 
mained, patient,  remarkably  submissive,  docile,  long-suffering  as  sheep. 
To  remember  their  great  and  noble  past,  the  governing  instinct  their 
rulers  displayed,  and  their  mighty  civilization,  and  to  see  them  now 
with  their  individuality  crushed  out  as  the  result  of  their  long  years  of 
slavery,  and  suffering  a heavy  death-rate,  owing  to  acquired  intem- 
perance, to  poverty,  and  to  the  unsanitary  conditions  in  which  they 
live,  is  the  saddest  thing  in  South  America.” 

(The  Times,  London,  South  American  Supplement,  August  30,  1910.) 

This  is  the  great  and  so  inadequately  occupied  field  which  this  com- 
mission has  had  to  consider. 

General  Conditions  of  Sunday-school  Work. 

We  ought  doubtless  to  refer  to  the  general  educational  work  which 
the  various  missionary  agencies  are  carrying  on  in  Latin-America, 
partly  that  such  Bible  teaching  as  these  schools  give  may  not  be  over- 


7 


looked,  and  partly  that  we  may  compare  the  extent  of  this  general  edu- 
cational work  with  the  statistics  of  the  Sunday-school  work.  Only 
three  institutions  of  college  grade  are  reported  by  all  the  missions  in 
Latin-America,  and  these  three  are  all  in  Brazil  and  report  507  college 
students.  At  Edinburgh  there  were  reported  18  theological  seminaries 
and  normal  schools,  with  158  students  in  South  America;  8 such 
schools  in  Mexico  and  Central  America,  with  66  students ; and  4 in 
Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  with  students.  In  South  America  there  are  31 
boarding  and  high  schools,  with  3,491  students.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  25  boarding  and  high  schools  in  Mexico  and  Central  America 
report  4,042  students,  a larger  number  than  in  all  of  South  America. 
In  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  there  were  11  boarding  and  high  schools, 
with  1,179  pupils.  In  the  matter  of  day  schools  in  all  South  America 
there  were  reported  156  such  missionary  day  schools,  with  12,768 
students.  In  all  Latin-America  the  total  number  of  students  in 
colleges  and  boarding  and  high  and  day  schools  was  reported  by  the 
various  Protestant  missions  to  be  22,222.  The  total  number  of  Sun- 
day-school scholars,  the  same  year,  was  83,248.  Compare  these  figures 
with  Japan,  where  the  total  number  enrolled  in  Sunday-schools  was 
94,496. 

If  we  estimate  one-fifth  of  the  population  as  between  the  ages  of 
5 and  14,  which  the  census  returns  show  to  be  the  proper  proportion, 
we  shall  have  9,500,000  children  in  Latin-America  between  these 
ages.  If  we  should  double  this  number  to  ascertain  the  proper  Sun- 
day-school constituency  of  the  whole  population  we  should  find  that 
less  than  1 out  of  190  of  such  possible  constituency  is  actually  enrolled 
in  Sunday-schools. 

The  proportions  of  children  in  the  Sunday-schools  and  of  scholars 
over  20  years  of  age  vary  greatly  in  the  different  fields.  In  Mexico 
the  proportion  over  20  years  of  age  is  reported  as  from  54  to  54 ; in 
Cuba  54  1 Argentina  56o,  except  in  M.  E.  schools  of  Buenos  Aires  Dis- 
trict (%)  ; Bolivia  56;  Brazil  56  to  54;  Chile  56;  Colombia  %,  exc.  Bar- 
ranquilla  56;  Peru  none  to  56;  Venezuela  56  to  56;  Santo  Domingo  54i. 

Cradle  rolls  are  reported,  2 in  Mexico,  4 in  Cuba,  and  1 in  each 
of  the  following  countries:  Porto  Rico,  Brazil,  Chile,  Panama, 

Venezuela  and  Colombia. 

Two  home  departments  are  reported  in  Mexico,  5 in  Cuba,  and  1 
each  in  Argentina,  Brazil  and  Panama. 

Sunday-school  conventions  are  reported : 3 in  Mexico,  5 in  Cuba, 
3 in  Porto  Rico,  3 in  Brazil,  1 in  Chile,  and  1 in  Panama. 


8 


The  questionnaire  which  the  commission  addressed  to  the  mission- 
ary workers  in  Latin-America  called  for  information  under  the  fol- 
lowing fourteen  subjects: 

1.  Statistics. 

2.  Buildings  and  equipment. 

3.  Grading. 

4.  The  Sunday-school  session  and  program. 

5.  The  pastor  and  his  work. 

6.  Superintendents. 

7.  Teachers. 

8.  Literature. 

9.  Scholars. 

10.  Homes. 

11.  Public  attitude  toward  the  Sunday-school. 

12.  Other  religious  systems  and  the  Sunday-school. 

13.  Church  and  Sunday-school. 

14.  Sunday-school  support. 

The  statistical  information  is  presented  in  the  statistical  report  pre- 
pared for  the  convention  of  the  World’s  Sunday-school  Association. 
We  will  content  ourselves  with  summarizing  the  answers  received 
from  the  missions  in  reply  to  our  inquiries  under  the  other  headings. 

Buildings  and  Equipment 

Almost  without  exception  Sunday-school  services  are  reported  as 
being  held  in  church  buildings,  hired  halls  and  rented  houses.  The 
only  buildings  reported  as  specially  designed  for  Sunday-school  work 
are  two  in  Buenos  Aires,  viz.:  the  Scotch  Church  (English)  and  the 
Barracas  Spanish.  Also  one  in  Bello  Horizonte,  Brazil. 

In  Mexico,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  Chile  and  Panama  about  % of  the 
schools  separate  the  primary  department  in  some  way;  in  Buenos 
Aires  and  suburbs  about  %;  in  Brazil,  from  Md  to  %o;  in  Venezuela 
Ve.  A much  smaller  number  use  blackboards,  except  in  the  Province 
of  Santiago,  Cuba.  The  use  of  libraries  is  reported  about  as  follows : 
In  Mexico,  1 school  in  15 ; in  Cuba,  1 in  6 ; in  Porto  Rico,  1 in  7 ; in 
Argentina,  1 in  5;  in  Chile,  1 in  6;  in  Panama,  1 in  3;  in  Colombia, 
none;  in  Brazil,  none,  except  1 in  4 in  Bello  Horizonte  and  1 in  10  in 
North  Brazil. 

To  attract  scholars  and  increase  attendance,  four  correspondents 
mention  prizes,  eight  visiting,  four  cross  and  crown  pins,  seven  pic- 
ture cards,  two  public  announcement,  four  personal  work,  three  con- 


9 


tests;  other  things  mentioned  being  invitations,  rewards,  concerts, 
social  gatherings,  picnics,  special  days,  card  register,  banners  and  but- 
tons, the  Bible,  magic  lantern,  Bible  question  contest,  free  day  schools, 
good  singing,  “Bring  others.” 

The  proportion  of  scholars  having  Bibles  of  their  own  follows : In 
Brazil,  Mexico,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico  and  Colombia,  50  per  cent. ; in  Peru, 
75  per  cent. ; in  Argentina  and  Chile,  25  per  cent. ; in  Salvador  and 
Guatemala  nearly  all,  also  in  Santo  Domingo;  in  Bolivia  and  Ecuador 
very  few. 

Grading 

A large  number  of  the  schools  report  three  departments;  primary, 
intermediate  and  adult.  A few  report  four.  All  except  two  report 
the  use  of  the  international  uniform  lessons.  Thirteen  report  kinder- 
gartens, but  only  two  promotion  exercises. 

Sunday-school  Session  and  Program 

The  ordinary  features  are  introduced  into  the  programs.  The  ses- 
sions last  from  one  hour  to  two  hours,  the  majority  being  of  the 
former  duration.  Practically  no  Bible  drills  are  reported.  Musical 
attraction  is  usually  meagre.  The  only  recognitions  reported  are  of 
birthdays.  Christmas  is  observed  throughout  Latin-America  in  the 
schools,  Easter  and  Children’s  Day  in  Mexico,  but  very  little  in  other 
countries.  Great  emphasis  is  nearly  everywhere  placed  on  the  use  of 
the  Bible  in  the  school.  It  is  used  as  a book  of  reference,  as  text- 
book, as  the  only  book  studied,  for  the  reading  of  lesson  and  re- 
sponses, etc.  Memory  work  is  mostly  confined  to  golden  texts  and 
memory  verses.  Those  attending  regularly  are  reported  as  75  per 
cent,  in  Mexico,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico;  80  per  cent,  in  Peru  and  Vene- 
zuela; 70  per  cent,  in  Argentina  and  Brazil;  35  per  cent,  in  Bolivia 
and  50  per  cent,  to  80  per  cent,  in  Colombia.  The  rewards  offered  for 
attendance  vary  from  nothing  to  books,  articles  of  clothing,  picture 
cards,  colored  pictures  from  the  wall-rolls  and  cross  and  crown  pins. 
(In  Brazil  these  pins  do  not  find  favor  on  account  of  the  use  of  the 
emblem  of  the  cross  which  is  not  used  by  Protestants.) 

The  Pastor  and  His  Work 

Of  the  fourteen  theological  schools  which  are  mentioned  by  our 
correspondents  seven  teach  pedagogy,  psychology  and  Sunday-school 
management.  One  has  a course  of  methods  of  teaching  and  two 
require  study  of  a first  standard  teacher-training  course. 


10 


The  books  mentioned  as  in  use  in  Cuba  are:  La  Legion  de  Honor, 
El  Reino  de  Dios  en  Mantillas,  La  Organization  de  la  Escuela  Dom- 
inical, Manual  Normal,  Platicas  con  los  Maestros,  Problemas  y 
Metodos. 

There  is  no  exception  to  the  practice  of  pastors  attending  the  Sun- 
day-school. 

It  is  the  custom  for  pastors  to  lead  teachers’  meetings  usually  in 
Mexico,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  not  so  generally  in  Argentina,  in  Brazil 
still  less  so;  in  Bolivia  not  at  all;  in  Colombia  the  pastor  helps;  in 
Chile  many  lead ; in  Southern  California  few  do.  In  Salvador  a nor- 
mal class  is  reported  over  which  the  pastor  has  general  oversight. 
The  pastor  is  reported  as  largely  controlling  the  Sunday-school  in  all 
countries. 

The  ability  of  native  pastors  to  read  English  varies  in  different 
countries,  e.  g.,  the  proportion  is  given  as  % in  Mexico,  % in  Cuba, 
14  in  Porto  Rico,  % in  Argentina,  Bolivia  none,  over  ^ in  Brazil,  very 
few  in  Chile,  none  in  Colombia  and  a majority  of  Mexican  pastors  in 
Southern  California. 

Superintendents 

Two  of  our  correspondents  report  the  training  of  superintendents 
by  correspondence  courses,  seven  by  reading  courses  and  five  by  sum- 
mer schools  or  other  schools  of  methods. 

Schools  superintended  usually  by  laymen  are  found  in  Mexico, 
Argentina  over  J4,  in  Brazil  in  Chile  J4 ; usually  by  pastors  or  mis- 
sionaries, in  Cuba  %,  Porto  Rico  1%2,  in  Southern  California  and  in 
Colombia  %. 

Teachers 

From  75  per  cent,  to  100  per  cent,  of  the  teachers  throughout  Latin- 
America  are  from  the  native  church  membership. 

The  only  countries  in  which  there  seems  to  be  any  systematic  effort 
to  train  teachers  are  Cuba  and  Mexico.  The  books  used  are  those 
given  above  as  used  in  the  theological  schools.  Association  diplomas 
are  given  in  these  countries  to  those  completing  the  course.  Thirty 
diplomas  were  given  in  Cuba  last  year. 

Among  agencies  used  for  teacher-training  are  summer  schools,  or 
other  gatherings  such  as  an  annual  conference,  an  annual  conven- 
tion where  lectures  are  given,  the  Christian  worker’s  conference  for 
deepening  the  spiritual  life.  District  Sunday-school  institutes,  and 
the  annual  normal  school  commencement  at  which  a day  is  given  to 
the  subject  of  the  training  of  Sunday-school  teachers.  Work  of  this 
kind  is  very  scattered  and  inadequate,  however. 


11 


Literature 

The  lesson  helps  mentioned  as  in  use  are : Expositor  Biblico,  Lec- 
ciones  Biblicas,  Joyas  Biblicas,  Aurora,  Estandarte  Evavgelico,  Man- 
zanas  de  Ora,  Faro  and  Fanal,  Peloubets,  Westminister  Helps,  Picture 
Cards,  Local  Church  papers,  Sunday-school  quarterlies,  Revista  de 
Escola  Dominical. 

Nineteen  of  our  correspondents  think  that  the  denominational  peri- 
odicals published  in  Spanish  and  Portuguese  give  sufficient  space  to 
the  interest  of  the  Sunday-school,  but  thirty-two  take  a contrary  view. 
Only  five  think  that  a larger  measure  of  denominational  cooperation 
in  the  provision  of  literature  is  impossible,  also  that  it  is  undesirable, 
but  eleven  report  that  such  cooperation  has  already  been  attained. 
Eighteen  think  that  the  teachers’  helps  for  lesson  preparation,  which 
can  now  be  secured,  are  adequate,  but  forty-seven  record  a decided 
negative  to  this  question.  A study  of  the  replies  in  detail  confirms 
the  opinion  vigorously  presented  and  generally  accepted  at  the  special 
conference  on  missions  in  Latin-America  held  in  New  York  City  on 
March  12  and  13,  1913,  to  the  effect  that  one  of  the  greatest  needs  of 
the  Latin-American  field  is  a better  provision  of  evangelical,  espe- 
cially Sunday-school  literature,  and  that  this  can  only  be  supplied  by 
a far  larger  measure  of  cooperation.  Among  the  most  urgent  needs 
in  the  way  of  literature,  our  correspondents  have  spoken  of  better 
mail  delivery,  good  books  for  teachers,  illustrated  periodicals  for  chil- 
dren, a union  of  papers,  better  prepared  lessons,  a paper  something 
like  The  Sunday-school  Times,  attractive  cards,  young  people’s  paper 
in  Spanish,  like  Forward  or  Young  People’s  Weekly,  graded  lessons, 
Helps  for  Primary  Teachers,  Quarterlies,  Graded  Lesson  Helps,  Inter- 
denominational Monthly  for  Teachers  on  Methods,  a good  Spanish 
Sunday-school  paper  for  young  people  and  lesson  leaves  to  be  given 
one  week  in  advance,  something  in  Spanish  like  Peloubet’s  Notes, 
graded  lessons  in  book  form  for  Old  and  New  Testament,  good  books, 
charts,  etc. 

One  correspondent  points  out,  however,  that  the  great  need  is  more 
literate  people.  Where  the  conditions  of  illiteracy  are  such  as  we 
have  already  described  it  can  be  readily  understood  that  there  is  need 
not  only  of  more  publications,  but  also,  and  especially  among  the  lower 
classes  of  people,  of  more  men  and  women  and  children  able  to  read. 

As  everywhere  in  the  world,  however,  the  percentage  of  those  who 
can  read  among  Protestant  Christians  is  vastly  in  excess  of  the  pro- 
portion in  any  other  class  of  the  population.  Throughout  the  mission 
field  the  ability  to  read  the  Bible  is  regarded  as  an  indispensable 
acquirement  on  the  part  of  Christian  converts. 


12 


Scholars 

Seventeen  correspondents  report  that  nothing  or  little  is  being  done 
for  scholars  outside  of  the  Sunday-school  hour.  Forty-one  report 
home  visitation  as  done  by  teachers  to  a greater  or  less  extent.  Thir- 
ty-seven report  social  plans,  such  as  picnics;  and  four  or  five,  athletic 
games  for  the  boys ; and  one,  week-day  singing  practice. 


Homes 

Thirty-five  report  cooperation  with  the  Sunday-school  on  the  part 
of  parents  in  Christian  homes,  such  as  sending  and  bringing  children, 
preparation  of  children,  urging  attendance,  sympathy,  read  daily  por- 
tions with  children  and  help  to  learn  lessons,  attending  themselves. 

Twenty-one  report  “little  or  no  cooperation.”  Forty-five  report  that 
most  of  the  homes  from  which  children  come  are  Christian.  Six  that 
half  are  Christian,  and  twenty-one  that  the  homes  are  mostly  non- 
Christian.  Cuba  and  Argentina  have  the  largest  percentage  of  chil- 
dren in  the  Sunday-schools  from  non-Christian  homes.  Among  the 
industrial  and  social  conditions  which  affect  Sunday-school  attendance 
and  interest,  Sabbath  desecration,  poverty,  men’s  clubs,  and  ignorance 
are  mentioned.  Twenty-two  correspondents  state  that  there  is  little 
antagonism  on  the  part  of  non-Christian  homes  to  the  instruction  of 
children  in  the  Bible,  while  forty-four  report  existence  of  antagonism 
to  such  instruction  springing  from  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  from 
indifference,  and  from  ignorance.  All  the  correspondents  in  Mexico, 
Argentina  and  Bolivia  who  refer  to  the  matter  speak  of  an  attitude 
of  antagonism.  In  Cuba  it  is  not  mentioned.  Forty-four  correspond- 
ents report  the  use  of  the  Sunday-school  as  a means  of  entrance  to 
non-Christian  homes.  Thirteen  report  that  no  such  use  is  made  of  it. 
Many  speak  of  instances  where  parents  have  been  won  to  evangelical 
Christianity  through  the  Sunday-school.  Thirty-two  speak  of  litera- 
ture taken  home  by  scholars  as  a means  used,  and  thirty-one  of  the 
interest  and  visits  of  the  teachers.  The  reports  seem  to  indicate  a 
deficiency  in  the  amount  of  aggressive  effort  put  forth  to  bring  in  the 
children  from  non-Christian  homes.  Those  who  have  made  the  effort 
report  the  methods  used  to  be,  invitation,  visitation,  day  schools,  per- 
sonal work,  visitation  of  Bible  women,  special  campaigns,  cottage 
prayer-meetings,  etc.  Nearly  all  the  correspondents  report  the  homes 
of  the  people  as  accessible.  Twenty  report  home  Bible  study,  and 
forty-one  little  or  no  such  study.  Twenty  report  that  old  wall  charts, 
pictures,  etc.,  are  used  in  the  homes  and  found  helpful. 


13 


Public  Attitude  Toward  the  Sunday-school 

Twenty-one  replies  report  the  attitude  of  public  officials  toward  the 
Sunday-school  as  favorable,  sixteen  as  unfavorable,  and  thirty-four  as 
indifferent.  Nineteen  mention  public  school  teachers  as  opposed  to  the 
Sunday-school,  and  some  represent  this  opposition  as  successful,  but 
more  as  unsuccessful.  One  states  that  in  Mexico  City  such  opposition 
meets  with  but  little  success,  but  that  it  has  great  influence  elsewhere 
in  Mexico.  One  correspondent  from  Brazil  says  that  indifference  is 
more  dangerous  than  antagonism. 

With  reference  to  religious  and  moral  instruction  given  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  in  Latin-America,  one  correspondent  in  Salvador  goes  so 
far  as  to  report  immorality  as  taught  in  some  schools.  Another  in 
Guatamala  reports  morality  as  taught  from  text-books.  Others  in 
Mexico  state  that  morality  is  taught,  but  not  religion,  and  that  all 
religious  instruction  in  public  schools  is  prohibited  by  law.  Most  of 
the  Mexican  correspondents,  however,  report  that  there  is  no  teaching 
either  of  ethics  or  of  religion.  Cuban  correspondents  report  “no 
religion  and  little  moral  instruction,”  and  Porto  Rican,  “no  religion, 
but  some  ethics.”  Replies  from  Argentina  say:  “The  priest  has  one 
day  a week  in  some  provinces;”  “Some  teachers  try  to  teach  Roman 
Catholicism “No  religion,  much  moral  instruction “None  in  most 
parts;”  “In  a few  cases  the  priest  goes  after  school  hours;”  “None.” 
In  Brazil  our  correspondents  report,  “Nothing  special;”  “Romish  doc- 
trines in  many  places  in  spite  of  laws  that  prohibit;”  “Lives  of  saints, 
I am  told,  and  the  Roman  catechism;”  “None,  the  higher  institutions 
are  decidedly  antagonistic  to  morality;”  “Catechism;”  “Religious  in- 
struction is  forbidden,  but  the  Roman  catechism  is  taught;”  “None 
whatever.”  Replies  from  Chile  state  that  the  Roman  Catholic  religion 
and  catechism  are  taught  in  the  public  schools.  In  Colombia  the  pub- 
lic schools  are  completely  in  the  control  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  there  is  teaching  of  church  doctrine,  but  no  Bible.  Al- 
though the  church  has  been  disestablished  in  Ecuador,  one  corre- 
spondent reports  of  the  public  school,  “None  but  Roman  Catholicism.” 
From  Peru  the  answer  is  given,  “Roman  Catholic  catechism  and  the 
need  for  confession,”  “Teaching  of  Roman  catechism  by  priests.”  In 
Venezuela,  “Philosophy  and  the  catechism  are  taught;”  in  San  Do- 
mingo, Roman  Catholicism. 

There  is  no  exception  to  the  opinion  that  such  instruction  as  given 
is  unsatisfactory  in  shaping  moral  conduct. 

Correspondents  in  Central  America,  Mexico,  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  Ar- 
gentina, Brazil  and  Chile  report  that  there  is  need  felt  and  expressed 


14 


by  public  officers  and  educators  for  religious  instruction  that  shall  pro- 
duce character;  a correspondent  from  Bolivia,  however,  expresses  the 
view-point  of  the  governing  radicals,  that  morals  do  not  depend  upon 
religion. 

Other  Religious  Systems  and  the  Sunday-school 

We  have  sought  to  find  out  what  the  Roman  Catholic  churches  were 
doing  in  Latin-America  for  the  religious  instruction  of  children  and 
young  people,  and  have  received  the  following  answers : “Nothing 
besides  catechism  instruction;”  “Doctrine  classes;”  “Nothing;”  “School 
in  connection  with  hospital;”  “Day  schools  and  catechism;”  “Confes- 
sion;” “Nothing  except  through  contact  with  Protestant  effort;” 
“Feeble  effort  at  Saturday  afternoon  classes  in  doctrine;”  “Parochial 
schools;”  “Almost  nothing;”  “So-called  Sunday-schools  for  doctrine;" 
“Class  in  church  Sunday  afternoon;”  “Imitating  our  Sunday-schools;” 
“Getting  children  of  seven  for  first  communion;”  “Preparation  for 
confession  and  first  communion;”  “Church  and  convent  schools;” 
“Teaching  prayers  to  saints  and  to  wear  amulets;”  “Everything  pos- 
sible from  her  standpoint;”  “Catechism  and  rival  Sunday-schools;” 
“Forming  societies  as  ‘Corazon  de  Jesus’;”  “Tracts  and  literary  meet- 
ings ;”  “Societies  for  the  adoration  of  the  virgin.” 

The  attitude  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  toward  the  Bible  is 
stated  in  nearly  all  the  answers  to  be  hostile.  Its  reading  is  prohib- 
ited. Qualified  answers  are  as  follows:  “Indifferent  or  combatant;” 
“Seldom  allowed  to  be  read;”  “Discouraged;”  “Its  reading  is  not  ap- 
proved;” “Reading  not  allowed  without  special  permission;”  “Its  read- 
ing is  generally  prohibited;”  “Attitude,  not  considered,  many  times 
forbidden;”  “Its  reading  is  allowed,  but  it  is  not  encouraged;”  “Ro- 
man Catholic  Church  does  not  know  the  Bible;”  “Its  reading  is 
allowed,  but  discouraged.” 

Only  four  or  five  correspondents  report  the  conduct  of  Sunday- 
schools  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  with  one  exception  such 
attempts  are  pronounced  failures. 

As  to  educational  use  made  of  the  confessional  the  answers  follow : 
“Immorality  propagated;”  “To  prejudice  against  Protestants;”  “In- 
tolerance taught;”  “Nothing;”  “To  teach  impurity  and  fanaticism;” 
“Political;”  “To  pervert  morals  and  contaminate  the  innocent” 

As  to  the  proportion  of  people  attending  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  the  answers  vary  greatly: 

Central  America  says,  women  and  children,  and  25  per  cent,  of  men, 
30  per  cent. 


15 


Mexico:  5 per  cent,  irregularly,  probably  40  per  cent.,  50  per  cent, 
irregularly,  25  per  cent.,  50  per  cent.,  50  per  cent.,  % of  women  and  % 
of  men,  small  proportion. 

Cuba  reports : Few,  small,  about  3 per  cent,  and  10  per  cent,  on 
special  days. 

Porto  Rico:  Perhaps  5 per  cent.,  15  per  cent.,  2 to  5 per  cent,  reg- 
ularly, perhaps  10  per  cent.,  25  per  cent.,  5 per  cent 

Argentina:  10  per  cent.,  perhaps  40  per  cent.,  12  per  cent.,  20  per 
cent.,  less  of  men,  20  per  cent,  irregularly. 

Bolivia:  50  per  cent. 

Brazil : 15  per  cent.,  perhaps  30  per  cent.,  almost  none  of  the  edu- 
cated, few  of  the  ignorant,  1 per  cent,  regularly,  10  to  25  per  cent., 
5 to  10  per  cent.,  99  per  cent,  counting  those  who  attend  from  once  a 
day  to  once  in  five  years,  90  per  cent,  irregularly,  75  per  cent.,  2 to  10 
per  cent.,  33  per  cent. 

Chile,  10  per  cent. ; Colombia,  Bogota  90  per  cent. ; Barranquilla,  per- 
haps one  in  a hundred ; Antioquia,  90  per  cent. 

These  estimates  vary  greatly,  partly  because  the  conditions  vary  in 
different  sections,  partly  because  some  of  our  correspondents  have  in 
mind  regular  church  attendance,  and  others,  once  a year  or  on  feast 
days.  Nothing  impresses  the  traveler  in  Latin-America  more  than 
the  general  neglect  of  attendance  upon  church  services  in  .most  places, 
while  in  others,  especially  in  those  sections  where  the  influence  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  is  still  strong,  the  churches  are  crowded  to 
the  doors  and  beyond  at  all  special  services. 


Church  and  Sunday-school 

Testimony  indicates  that  it  is  usually  true  that  where  a Sunday- 
school  is  well  planted  a church  follows : Varying  percentages  of 
church  members  and  workers  come  from  the  Sunday-school,  depend- 
ing much  on  how  long  a time  the  work  has  been  established.  Answers 
run  as  follows:  50  per  cent.,  70  per  cent.,  all,  80  per  cent.,  nearly  all. 
One  says,  church  members  10  to  20  per  cent. ; workers,  90  per  cent. 

Practically  all  speak  of  the  great  importance  of  the  Sunday-school 
in  relation  to  the  future  of  the  church.  Many  answer:  “Very  im- 
portant;” “Most  important;”  “Holds  first  place;”  “Yes,  I believe  that 
only  through  the  Sunday-school  will  come  the  great  awakening  that 
this  country  needs  and  the  spiritual  deepening  our  church  members 
must  have.” 

The  possibilities  for  Sunday-school  extension  are  described  as  fol- 


16 


lows:  Slow,  Good,  Lack  of  workers,  Very  great,  Unlimited,  Great, 
Open  Door,  Wherever  there  are  teachers,  Great  in  cities,  greater  in 
villages,  It  is  a question  of  money  and  workers,  Unlimited,  Good  in 
villages,  Could  be  quadrupled,  Great  but  need  promises  and  better 
organization,  Fine  in  cities. 

It  is  evident  that  the  field  is  great  and  the  need  pressing. 

A missionary  in  Porto  Rico  writes : “There  is  a tremendous  need 
for  Sunday-school  work  here.  Indeed,  there  is  no  language  that  could 
overestimate  it.  We  must  depend  upon  the  children  and  they  must 
be  taught  in  the  Sunday-schools.  Besides  the  Sunday-school  does  a 
big  work  with  the  older  members  of  the  church.  There  is  also  a big 
opportunity.  I have  found  for  the  most  part  a willingness  on  the  part 
of  parents  to  send  their  children. 

“Many  who  will  not  attend  themselves  will  send  their  children.  How 
can  you  help  us?  First  of  all  we  need  more  Sunday-school  literature 
in  Spanish  at  a price  reasonable  enough  for  our  mission  schools.  This 
is  the  great  need.  We  cannot  raise  money  enough  to  supply  the  need 
for  good  literature  that  could  be  and  would  be  read.  Again  we  need 
some  inspirational  man  to  come  to  us — one  who  is  full  of  life  and 
enthusiasm.  * * * Plan  so  that  we  will  get  a strong  man  to  work 
up  this  field  and  to  help  us  organize  the  work  we  have.  Give  us,  then, 
plenty  of  good  literature.  The  public  schools  have  made  a great  op- 
portunity here.  The  children  all  read.” 

Another  writes  from  Argentina:  “I  consider  the  Sunday-school  the 
most  important  part  of  our  work,  and  when  we  have  some  good  litera- 
ture in  Spanish  and  well  trained  teachers,  great  things  can  be  ex- 
pected.” 


Sunday-school  Support 

Money  for  the  equipment  and  support  of  Sunday-schools  is  usually 
supplied  by  schools  themselves  by  means  of  collections. 

Only  ten  correspondents  mention  aid  for  Sunday-school  work  ob- 
tained from  their  mission  boards. 

The  mission  boards  make  provision  pretty  generally  for  the  prep- 
aration of  Sunday-school  literature,  for  the  purchase  of  lesson  helps, 
for  the  Sunday-schools  and  for  the  equipment  of  the  schools.  There 
is  a great  and  general  acknowledgment,  however,  of  the  lack  of  ade- 
quate facilities  for  the  work,  but  it  is  the  lack  of  strong  teachers  and 
of  the  training  of  such  teachers  as  there  are,  even  more  than  material 
facilities,  that  must  be  met. 

It  needs  to  be  remembered  that,  as  already  pointed  out,  the  pop- 


17 


ulation  of  South  America  is  scattered  over  an  enormous  area,  and 
that  in  many  parts  of  the  field  the  work  is  new,  the  conditions  of 
illiteracy  appalling,  and  the  material  for  Sunday-school  work  totally 
lacking,  with  the  exception  of  the  unreached  lives  needing  to  be  won. 
A missionary  far  up  in  the  interior  of  Brazil  writes : 

“The  work  up  here  is  too  new  to  do  much  in  Sunday-school  work. 
The  reason  is  that  there  are  few  who  can  teach,  and  the  work  is  so 
scattered  that  one  cannot  stay  long  enough  in  one  place  to  develop, 
or  even  help  in  a small  way,  promising  men  and  women  for  that  work. 
Only  some  16  per  cent,  of  the  population  can  read,  and  the  percent- 
age of  those  who  come  into  our  church  is  not  much  larger,  although 
many  begin  to  learn  as  soon  as  they  are  converted.  We  lived  in  this 
town  some  months  before  we  could  start  a Sunday-school.  As  a rule 
people  at  first  are  ashamed  to  be  seen  coming  to  our  services  in  the 
day  time,  and  our  evenings  are  given  up  to  direct  evangelistic  work. 
We  have  tried  in  different  places  to  start  little  Sunday-schools,  but 
they  have  not  succeeded  on  account  of  the  illiteracy  of  the  people  and 
the  inexperience  of  the  only  available  leaders.  * * * However,  our 
field  is  so  vast  that  traveling  about  three  thousand  miles  a year  on 
mule  back  I can’t  cover  it,  and  my  visits  have  to  be  so  far  apart  and 
so  short  that  I almost  get  discouraged.  We  have  to  spread  ourselves 
out  so  far  that  there  is  not  much  left  of  us  by  the  process.  My 
present  colleague  is  going  across  the  States  of  Coyaz  and  Matto 
Grosso  to  the  Bolivian  frontier,  spending  nearly  two  years  on  the 
trip.” 

Another,  who  lives  in  the  same  state  of  Brazil,  but  many  days’  jour- 
ney away  from  the  former,  writes : 

“This  is  a mission  field  principally  developed  in  this  century.  The 
portion  containing  organized  work  has  about  1,500  effective  member- 
ship enrolled  in  seventeen  so-called  churches,  with  ninety  preaching 
stations  scattered  over  an  area  greater  than  California.  In  the  Chris- 
tian homes  the  Sabbath  is  largely  given  to  Bible  study,  and  it  is  a 
principal  week-day  activity  in  many  cases,  but  regular  Sunday-schools 
are  possible  only  in  the  larger  groups,  and  in  these  where  the  presence 
of  day  school  teachers  or  ex-teachers  furnishes  a leader.  In  eight  of 
the  groups  the  pastor’s  visits  do  not  average  three  per  year,  and  in 
Bible  study  and  teaching  he  is  examiner  and  demonstrator  only.  The 
public  schools  outside  the  capital  are  worthless,  and  the  believers  sup- 
port thirty  day  schools  in  which  the  Bible  is  taught  daily.  When  chil- 
dren can  read  understanding^  we  give  them  a bound  volume  of  a 
child’s  periodical  which  contains  many  Biblical  search  lessons  as  a 


18 


reward;  when  one  repeats  the  child’s  catechism  perfectly  he  receives 
a Bible  with  maps;  when  one  repeats  a certain  ten  passages,  chapters 
or  more,  we  give  him  a hymn-book.  In  20  per  cent,  of  the  member- 
ship I gave  one  year  thirty  odd  of  the  periodicals  and  Bibles  and 
twenty  hymn-books.  A considerable  part  of  these  were  in  families 
remote  from  the  schools  or  meeting  place.” 

Where  one  missionary  will  have  a field  as  large  as  the  State  of 
Texas  it  is  evident  that  there  is  need  for  reinforcement  before  there 
can  be  a very  extensive  development  of  Sunday-school  work. 


In  General 

The  commission  asked  its  correspondents  the  question,  “Do  you  con- 
sider the  next  ten  years  strategic  for  a great  Sunday-school  advance 
in  view  of  the  trend  of  sentiment  in  church  and  homes,  in  educa- 
tional and  public  circles?”  Nearly  all  the  replies  urge  the  importance 
of  an  energetic  and  aggressive  development  of  Sunday-school  work 
during  the  coming  decade.  Some  reply  that  the  next  ten  years  con- 
stitute a problem,  that  they  are  not  strategic,  but  important,  that  the 
longer  the  delay  the  more  difficult  the  work  will  be,  that  any  ten 
years  are  strategic. 

As  to  what  constitutes  the  specially  urgent  needs  in  the  Latin- 
American  fields,  our  correspondents  reply:  “Visits  from  Sunday- 
school  men  of  America;”  “Better  teachers;”  “Church  union;”  “More 
Spanish  literature  and  teacher-training ;”  “More  Spanish  literature  and 
institutes;”  “Better  cooperation  and  better  preparation  of  teachers;” 
“Better  organization,  teaching  and  equipment;”  “Good  secretary  lo- 
cated in  our  midst;”  “A  leader  giving  whole  time;”  “More  literature 
and  a live  lecturer.” 

The  special  emphasis  in  almost  every  case  is  upon  literature.  One 
missionary  writes : 

“What  we  need  for  our  Sunday-school  is  literature  and  only  litera- 
ture. We  need  a fourteen  or  more  years’  Sunday-school  course,  more 
or  less  like  the  Blakeslee  lessons  with  helps  on  that  plan  that  can  be 
put  into  the  hands  of  all  our  people.  It  should  cover  the  Bible  four 
times,  for  primaries,  for  children  who  can  read,  for  adolescents,  and 
for  adults.  It  should  call  for  enough  Bible  reading,  study  and  thought 
to  occupy  the  three  higher  groups  five  hours  a week.  The  helps  need 
not  be  voluminous  but  should  supplement,  connect,  clarify  and  explain 
what  the  pupil  can  get  from  the  text,  context  and  parallel  readings. 
Once  prepared  the  helps  would  do  for  a generation,  and  the  future 


19 


would  be  prepared  by  them  to  do  better  for  itself.  We  would  recast 
our  day  school  course  to  supplement  and  strengthen  the  Sunday-school 
work.” 

Nearly  all  replies  indicate  that  their  writers  think  that  conventions, 
institutes,  model  Sunday-schools  and  class  sessions,  but  especially  im- 
proved and  more  ample  literature,  are  the  great  needs,  with  occasional 
visits  from  well-trained,  practical,  spiritual  Sunday-school  men. 

Mr.  Penzotti,  the  agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  who  travels 
over  a good  part  of  the  continent,  writes  of  the  pitiable  inadequacy 
of  the  Sunday-school  development  in  some  fields  and  of  the  special 
needs  which  he  finds  throughout  the  countries  over  which  he  jour- 
neys : 

“In  Paraguay  we  can  say  that  practically  there  is  almost  nothing 
because  of  the  frequent  revolutions.  I was  there  a short  time  ago 
and  found  four  Sunday-schools  with  about  180  children  with  eight 
teachers  and  pastors.  In  Bolivia  we  have  eight  Sunday-schools  with 
440  scholars,  70  per  cent,  are  children  and  30  per  cent,  grown-ups,  with 
twenty  teachers  and  pastors.  Ecuador  has  seven  Sunday-schools  with 
170  scholars,  65  per  cent,  are  children  and  35  per  cent,  grown-ups,  with 
fifteen  teachers  and  pastors.  Experience  has  taught  me  that  the  Sun- 
day-school is  an  excellent  means  to  prepare  and  educate  the  children 
and  often  they  are  the  messengers  to  interest  parents  and  to  bring 
them,  with  the  result  that  they  are  often  converted.  We  are  in  great 
need  of  a paper  in  Spanish  with  illustrations,  anecdotes  and  with  good 
explanations  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Collections  are  generally  taken 
up  in  all  Sunday-schools,  and  doubtless  if  we  had  a good,  attractive 
paper,  with  good  material,  it  would  be  easy  to  pay  for  it.  Practically 
the  Sunday-schools  in  all  these  countries  are  mission  Sunday-schools 
and  do  not  own  buildings  and  are  very  poor  in  proper  literature.” 

A missionary  from  Brazil  writes : 

“There  ought  to  be  somewhere  in  some  language  a Sunday-school 
manual,  with  plain  instructions  for  organizing  and  carrying  on  a Sun- 
day-school, with  hints  on  teaching,  etc.  I have  never  seen  such  a 
work,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  it  is  quite  as  necessary  here  in  Brazil, 
at  least,  as  commentaries  on  the  lessons.” 

Another  in  Colombia  writes:  “Can’t  the  World’s  Association  use  its 
influence  in  getting  Mexico  to  get  out  its  lesson  helps  way  in  advance 
that  we  may  study  the  International  lessons  on  time.” 

On  the  question  of  the  correlation  of  the  work  of  the  Sunday- 
school  with  work  for  young  people,  our  correspondents  express  a 
variety  of  opinions  as  follows:  “Young  people  to  provide  teachers;” 


20 


"Sunday-school  and  Epworth  League  unite  in  conventions;”  "Very  lit- 
tle except  in  annual  conventions;”  “In  annual  conventions;”  Sunday- 
school  is  more  important  than  the  other;”  "By  aligning  future  workers 
for  both;”  “In  convention  work;”  “The  Y.  P.  S.  is  doomed  if  the 
modern  Sunday-school  plans  are  carried  out;”  “Members  should  at- 
tend and  help;”  “Correlation  impracticable;”  “We  hold  conventions 
together,  but  work  through  separate  organizations ;”  “Don’t  tie  any 
weights  to  the  Sunday-schools;”  “Union  should  be  much  closer;” 
“Material  for  Y.  P.  S.  comes  in  great  degree  from  Sunday-school;” 
“Has  a place  all  its  own,  better  not  try  to  correlate  it;”  “All  church 
work  ought  to  be  correlated,  not  combined;”  “Here  about  the  same 
thing,  we  need  more  distinction;”  “Should  be  united  when  such  exist;” 
“Very  intimately  and  successfully,  we  have  about  four  years’  experi- 
ence in  our  mission;”  “Would  work  well,  I think.” 

Lastly,  we  inquired,  How,  in  the  judgment  of  our  correspondents, 
the  World’s  Sunday-school  Association  could  be  of  assistance  in  fur- 
thering a large  advance  in  the  Sunday-school  work  in  Latin- America? 
The  following  are  some  of  the  replies:  “By  sending  a secretary  and 
finding  out  conditions;”  “Possibly  by  calling  together  those  interested 
in  a Central  American  convention;”  “By  showing  the  greatness  of  the 
movement;”  “By  providing  a general  Sunday-school  paper  with  good 
reading  matter  for  young  people;”  “By  a broader  international  sym- 
pathy, and  by  attending  and  helping  local  work  when  members  of  old 
countries  go  to  non-Christian  countries ;”  “By  teaching  the  unity  of 
Sunday-school  interests;”  “By  giving  more  literature  in  Spanish,  tell- 
ing about  the  work  of  the  world-wide  Sunday-school  movement;” 
“Field  work  and  literature;”  “By  providing  funds  and  securing  a 
secretary  who  knows  the  Spanish  language  and  the  conditions,  re- 
ligious and  social ;”  “By  giving  us  at  least  part  of  the  time  of  an 
experienced  secretary  who  knows  Spanish  and  Spanish  people;”  “By 
giving  us  information  as  to  successful  working  methods  and  how  we 
may  hope  to  overcome  our  peculiar  difficulty;”  "Our  field  would  be 
better  served  by  having  less  of  the  Old  Testament  study  and  much 
more  of  the  New,  but  we  do  not  see  how  this  can  be  changed  until  a 
different  plan  is  made  for  all  Spanish  countries;”  “Print  us  some 
tracts  on  Sunday-school  work;”  “By  sending  a man  who  is  well  up 
in  the  best  Sunday-school  methods  and  is  accustomed  to  addressing 
children,  who  will  spend  a week  or  so  at  each  center  giving  practical 
demonstrations  to  missionaries  and  teachers;”  “Through  aiding  in  pro- 
viding literature,  teacher-training  and  leaders ;”  “By  constantly  stirring 
us  up,  who  in  the  multiplicity  of  labors  abundant  sometimes  lose  sight 


21 


of  the  great  advantage  of  Sunday-school  work;”  “By  awakening  inter- 
est, making  known  the  great  opportunity  here  and  helping  to  secure 
literature,  further  a special  field  secretary  for  South  America;”  “The 
very  fact  that  we  are  in  union  will  stir  us  up,  we  have  been  hitherto 
left  out-of-doors,  we  need  to  be  awakened  and  incited;”  “By  awaken- 
ing interest  at  home  in  Latin-America .” 

“The  traveling  secretary,”  “Promote  the  appointment  of  a field  Sun- 
day-school missionary  or  missionaries  (interdenominational)  and  pro- 
vide for  his  support  for  ten  years.  Provide  for  publication  of  graded 
Sunday-school  lessons  and  aid  periodical  Sunday-school  issues.  Co- 
ordinate and  inspire  Sunday-school  workers  and  work.”  “By  offering 
a basis  of  union  for  cooperation  which  should  result  in  great  stim- 
ulus.” “By  preparing  us  an  adequate  literature.”  “Give  us  more  spe- 
cialists and  literature.”  “By  sustaining  a secretary  to  work  in  the 
language  of  the  people.” 

There  are  those  who  do  not  believe  that  the  field  calls  as  yet  for  a 
Sunday-school  secretary,  but  who  believe  that  the  great  need  is  for  a 
steady  development  of  local  schools,  for  the  creation  of  more  of  the 
units  which  can  later  be  wrought  together  into  a great  organized  whole. 

Bishop  Stuntz,  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Latin-America,  than 
whom  no  one  is  carrying  more  earnestly  the  religious  needs  of  Latin- 
America  upon  his  heart,  writes : 

“In  my  opinion  the  time  is  not  yet  ripe  for  the  appointment  of  a 
Sunday-school  secretary  for  Spanish-speaking  South  America.  We 
(*.  e.,  M.  E.  Church)  have  the  largest  body  of  Sunday-school  pupils 
of  any  board  at  work  in  this  field,  and  yet  the  total  is  less  than  the 
number  in  the  Sunday-schools  of  our  own  denomination  in  the  one 
city  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.  I cannot  bring  my  mind  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  expend  four  or  five  thousand  dollars 
annually  to  support  a general  secretary  to  look  after  a work  which 
is  so  small.  Let  us  have  that  help  to  create  literature  so  sorely  needed. 
In  five  or  ten  years  we  may  come  to  the  point  where  large  aid  could 
be  rendered  to  the  cause  by  the  services  of  such  a worker.  Even 
then  it  is  doubtful  if  this  will  be  the  case.  I am  full  of  hope  for  the 
work,  but  it  must  be  greatly  developed  from  within  and  without  the 
distractions  of  a ‘movement’  for  another  decade  if  we  would  have  it 
come  to  its  best.” 

Another,  a missionary  living  in  the  State  of  Minas,  Brazil,  writes 
of  the  need  of  evangelical  day  schools  before  the  best  Sunday-school 
work  can  be  done: 

“Scattered  populations,  corruption  and  superstition  as  practiced  and 


22 


taught  by  Rome,  resulting  in  a wave  of  indifference,  materialism  and 
spiritualism  on  the  part  of  the  majority  of  the  better  classes  of  peo- 
ple, and  ignorance  and  superstition  on  the  part  of  the  lower  classes, 
do  not  favor  the  rapid  growth  of  Sunday-school  work  in  this  section 
of  Brazil.  The  principal  hope  is,  I believe,  in  evangelical  schools; 
there  pupils  are  taught  the  Bible  without  interference  from  without; 
attendance  at  church  and  Sunday-school  is  required  and  young  peo- 
ple’s societies  are  maintained.  By  this  gradual  method  public  opinion 
will,  in  time,  recognize  the  claims  of  true  religion  and  moral  worth. 
Then  we  may  hope  for  big  things  in  Sunday-school  extension,  for  by 
that  time  we  will  have  more  railroads,  more  villages  and  towns  and 
better  facilities  in  every  way.” 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  large  and  increasing  body  of  for- 
eign immigrants  in  Latin-America.  It  needs  to  be  remembered  that 
many  of  these  come  from  the  Protestant  churches  of  Europe. 

Mr.  Bickerstaph  writes  of  the  challenge  which  the  large  German 
Lutheran  population  in  Southern  Brazil  presents  to  the  Zurich  Con- 
vention at  the  same  time  that  he  refers  to  what  are  evidently  the 
central  problems  of  Sunday-school  work  in  Latin-America,  namely, 
literature  and  competent  teachers : 

‘‘The  more  I study  the  literature  sent  me  by  the  World’s  Sunday- 
school  Association  the  more  I am  convinced  of  the  great  opportunities 
here  in  Brazil.  Now  that  we  are  preparing  for  Christmas  I find  that 
we  have  nearly  100  names  on  the  Sunday-school  roll,  while  the  usual 
attendance  is  from  35  to  45.  There  are  20,000  intelligent  Protestants 
(Lutherans  and  United)  in  Parana  and  Santa  Catharina  without  a 
Sunday-school.  I think  that  is  a challenge  to  the  Zurich  convention. 
I cannot  help  thinking  of  these  Germans;  they  would  be  a mighty 
help  to  the  evangelization  of  the  Brazilians  if  they  were  instructed  in 
the  Bible  and  imbued  with  the  missionary  spirit.  Would  it  be  at  all 
possible  to  get  money  somewhere  to  send  a Lutheran  pastor  to  Zurich? 
If  we  could  get  him  enthused  he  might,  on  his  return,  travel  about 
the  two  States  and  found  Sunday-schools.  I can  think  of  nothing 
more  likely  to  arouse  the  Brazilian  German  Church ; and  if  it  was 
once  aroused  it  would  give  a different  color  to  Protestantism  as  un- 
derstood here.  It  would  greatly  stimulate  our  own  church.  Catechism 
and  Bible  history  are  taught  in  the  German  schools,  nearly  all  the 
pastors  being  teachers,  and  there  are  also  special  confirmation  classes. 
But  all  this  is  looked  upon  as  something  pertaining  to  the  school,  and 
to  school  days,  and  I think  very  few  German  Brazilians  study  the 
Bible  at  all  after  confirmation. 


23 


“What  we  need  in  our  Sunday-schools  are  more  workers  and  more  ■ 
literature.  We  ought  to  have  weekly  illustrated  papers,  with  attractive 
short  stories  illustrating  the  lesson  topic  and  putting  it  within  the 
reach  of  all  children  who  can  read;  and  then  there  should  be  a 
monthly,  something  like  the  Westminster,  for  teachers.  Then  there 
ought  to  be  some  sort  of  Sunday-school  manual  in  Portuguese,  point- 
ing out  the  necessity  for  and  great  value  of  the  Sunday-school,  giving 
plain  directions  for  organizing  and  carrying  on  the  same,  with  hints 
on  teaching  and  blackboard  work. 

“We  need  more  workers,  and  I want  someone  to  tell  me  how  to 
get  the  laymen  to  work  in  Sunday-school  and  prayer-meeting.” 

We  cannot  close  our  report  without  referring  also  to  the  unique 
claims  which  Latin-America  has  upon  the  evangelical  churches  for  a 
knowledge  of  the  Bible. 

The  South  American  religion  is  the  one  religion  in  the  world 
which  has  no  sacred  book  for  the  people.  In  China  the  great  ambi- 
tion of  the  whole  nation  for  centuries  has  been  to  master  the  classics. 

In  Moslem  lands  the  Koran  is  the  most  exalted  of  all  books  and  the 
ideal  of  the  educated  man  has  been  to  be  able  to  read  it  in  Arabic  in 
its  miraculous  purity.  Hindus  and  Buddhists  have  had  their  sacred 
books  open  to  all  who  would  study  them.  But  in  South  America  we 
have  had  the  phenomenon  of  a land  in  the  complete  control  of  a church 
which  has,  as  far  as  it  could,  sealed  its  sacred  Scriptures  to  the  people. 
There  are  Roman  Catholic  translations  of  the  Bible  both  in  Spanish 
and  in  Portuguese,  but  the  church  has  discouraged  or  forbidden  their 
use.  Again  and  again  priests  have  burned  the  Bibles  sold  by  colpor- 
teurs or  missionaries,  even  when  they  were  the  Roman  Catholic  ver- 
sions. Again  and  again  they  have  denounced  the  missionaries  for 
circulating  the  Scriptures  and  have  driven  them  out  of  villages,  where 
they  were  so  employed,  and  have  even  secured  their  arrest.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  not  one  Roman  Catholic  out  of  a thousand  in  South 
America  would  ever  have  seen  a Bible  but  for  the  Protestant  mission- 
ary movement.  The  priests  themselves  are  ignorant  of  it.  In  only 
one  church  did  we  find  a copy  of  it,  though  there  were  service  books 
by  the  dozen.  And  in  that  one  church  it  had  apparently  been  con- 
fiscated in  the  confessional. 

The  Bible  is  not  read  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Churches,  and  there 
are  no  Bible  schools  for  its  study.  The  Protestant  missionary  effort, 
however,  has  scattered  millions  of  Bibles  over  South  America  and  not 
only  brought  the  book  with  its  vivifying  power  to  the  people,  but 
actually  forced  the  South  American  Church  to  take  up  a different 


24 


attitude.  El  Chileno,  a clerical  paper  much  read  by  the  laboring  class 
in  Chile,  and  El  Mercurio,  the  leading  Chilean  newspaper,  now  print 
portions  of  the  Scriptures  daily  with  Roman  Catholic  notes  upon  them. 
The  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Brazil  has  also  modified  its  position 
to  meet  the  situation  created  by  the  Protestant  circulation  of  a book 
approved  by  the  church  and  yet  forbidden  by  it. 

Mr.  Tucker,  the  agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society  in  Brazil, 
wrote  in  1908: 

“In  the  beginning  of  our  work  in  Brazil  we  had  to  face  constantly 
the  fact  that  the  Catholic  Church  positively  prohibited  the  people  from 
reading  the  Scriptures  and  threatened  with  excommunication  any  who 
dared  to  do  so.  Even  the  priests  in  former  years  had  to  ask  for  a 
special  dispensation  if  they  wished  to  read  and  study  the  Bible  for  a 
time.  I have  visited  many  priests  who  did  not  have  a copy  of  the 
Bible,  and  the  few  that  do  exist  are  in  Latin. 

“We  have  before  reported  that  the  first  Catholic  Congress,  which 
met  a few  years  ago,  in  the  city  of  Bahia,  discussed  the  question  as 
to  what  should  be  done,  seeing  that  their  prohibitions,  excommunica- 
tions, persecutions  and  Bible-burnings,  had  not  availed  to  put  a stop 
to  the  Protestant  circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  which  is  all  the  time 
increasing.  The  Franciscan  monks  were  authorized  to  revise  and 
print  the  Figueredo  translation  of  the  four  Gospels.  * * * Later 
appeared  a Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  the  work  of  one  of  the  most 
cultured  priests  in  Brazil.  * * * 

“Early  in  the  present  year  a priest  of  the  Mission  in  the  College  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  completed  his  transla- 
tion of  the  four  Gospels  from  the  Vulgate.  These  he  has  printed  and 
placed  on  sale,  together  with  Sarmento’s  translation  of  Carriere’s 
French  paraphrase  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.” 

The  Archbishop  of  Rio,  who  is  now  a Cardinal,  the  first  in  South 
America,  writes  a preface  commending  this  work.  But  in  spite  of 
these  facts,  the  circulation  of  the  Bible  is  still  discouraged  or  pro- 
hibited by  the  South  American  system  and  no  effort  is  made  in  Brazil 
by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  act  upon  the  commendation  of  the 
Cardinal. 

The  Council  of  Latin-American  bishops  in  Rome  in  1899  particularly 
condemned  the  Protestant  vernacular  version  of  the  Bible,  published 
by  the  Bible  societies.  The  Archbishop  of  Bogota  in  his  circular 
' issued  in  1909,  already  quoted,  declared  that  all  who  received  or  had 
in  their  possession  “Bibles  or  books  of  whatever  kind  which  are  sold 
or  distributed  by  Protestant  missionaries  or  their  agents  or  by  other 


25 


booksellers  are  absolutely  obliged  to  deliver  such  books  to  their  parish 
priest  or  to  surrender  them  to  the  ecclesiastical  tribunal  of  the  Arch- 
bishopric.” His  people  could  not  retain  copies  even  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  versions  of  the  Scriptures  which  are  often  distributed  by 
the  missionaries.  Only  a few  months  ago,  the  priest  in  the  church  on 
a main  plaza  in  Chile,  where  the  great  markets  are  held,  boasted 
openly  in  church  of  having  burned  seven  Bibles. 

The  circulation  of  the  Bible  in  South  America  is  still  dependent 
upon  the  Bible  societies  and  the  Protestant  missionaries.  If  it  were 
not  for  them,  the  people  of  South  America  would  to-day  be  without 
the  Bible. 

It  is  the  supreme  mission  of  the  Sunday-school  to  spread  the  knowl- 
edge of  this  life-giving  book  among  the  70,000,000  peoples  of  Latin- 
America,  whose  needs  the  English  Bishop  of  Argentina  has  set  forth 
in  appealing  words : 

“The  needs  of  South  America,  how  great  and  pathetic  they  are ! 
The  world’s  empty  continent — the  hope  of  the  future — the  home  to 
be  of  millions  of  Europeans,  who  are  already  beginning  to  flow  there 
in  a steady  stream — it  is  without  true  religion,  and  does  not  realize  its 
danger ! The  form  of  the  faith  prevalent  is  the  weakest  and  most 
corrupt  known,  and  it  is  impossible  to  believe  that  the  rising  young 
nationalities  of  the  Continent  can  long  be  content  with  it.  Indeed 
they  are  not  content  with  it  now.  Yet  a faith  they  must  have.  What 
hope  is  there  for  Argentina,  for  example,  that  Spanish-speaking  United 
States  of  the  future,  without  true  religion?  Of  what  use  are  vast 
material  resources,  rapid  development,  wealth,  knowledge,  power,  with- 
out that?  Surely  God  has  a place  in  the  world  for  these  brilliant 
Southern  races.  They  are  still  full  of  vitality.  We  have  no  right  to 
speak  of  them  as  effete  and  played  out,  especially  when  we  know  the 
marvelous  recuperative  power  of  the  human  race.  Well,  where  should 
this  place  of  development  be  but  in  the  free  air  and  temperate  climate 
and  wide  spaces  of  the  new  world,  far  from  the  social  tyrannies  and 
religious  superstitions  which  have  hitherto  retarded  their  proper 
growth?  It  is  nothing  less  than  axiomatic  that  South  America  needs 
true  religion,  if  its  future  history  is  not  to  be  a disappointment  and 
its  development  a failure. 

“South  America  needs  what  Christian  England,  if  the  Church  were 
but  moved  with  more  faith  and  love,  could  easily  give,  true  religion, 
viz.,  Reformed,  Scriptural,  Apostolic  Christianity.  Our  own  people 
need  it,  that  they  may  be  saved  from  only  too  possible  degradation. 
The  Spanish  and  Portuguese-speaking  people  need  it,  that  they  may 


26 


develop  into  the  strong  free  nations  they  desire  to  be.  The  aboriginal 
races  of  Indians  need  it,  that  they  may  be  saved  from  extinction  and 
find  their  place,  too,  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.” 


Findings  of  the  Commission 

1.  We  find  that  there  is  need  of  a careful  and  continued  study  of 
the  Latin-American  field,  and  of  the  necessities  and  opportunities 
which  it  presents  for  the  development  of  Sunday-school  work.  The 
World’s  Sunday-school  Association  should  conduct  such  a careful  and 
continuous  study  of  the  field. 

2.  We  find  that  the  missionaries  and  Sunday-school  workers  in  this 
field  are  anxious  for  assistance  and  helpful  suggestion.  The  Sunday- 
school  work  in  many  sections  is  so  undeveloped  as  yet  and  the  evan- 
gelical churches  so  few  in  number  as  compared  with  other  fields  that 
the  primary  need  is  not  so  much  for  national  or  continental  organiza- 
tion and  supervision  as  for  steady  local  missionary  work,  but  with  an 
ever  increasing  emphasis  on  thorough  and  practical  methods  applied 
to  religious  education  in  the  Sunday-school.  The  commission  would 
also  recommend  the  development  of  local  organizations  for  promoting 
the  efficiency  of  Sunday-school  work  in  those  centers  or  countries 
where  evangelical  work  is  sufficiently  well  established  to  indicate  the 
need  of  organization  and  to  insure  beneficial  results  from  the  appli- 
cation of  such  progressive  measures.  Churches  and  church  members 
are  the  great  need  and  our  great  effort  should  be  put  forth  to 
strengthen  the  missionary  agencies  at  work  in  Latin-America  that 
strong  evangelical  churches  may  be  built  up  all  over  the  continent. 

3.  We  find  that  perhaps  the  greatest  need  next  to  the  need  of  more 
churches  and  evangelical  believers  competent  to  teach  Sunday-schools 
is  the  need  of  suitable  literature  in  the  way  of  lesson  helps,  period- 
icals, and  evangelical  books. 

4.  We  find  a great  desire  and  a great  need  for  cooperation.  In 
the  Sunday-school  field  this  desire  and  need  relate  chiefly  to  the 
provision  of  suitable  Sunday-school  literature,  although  in  some  parts 
of  the  field  there  is  need  also  of  cooperation  in  institutes  and  confer- 
ences. The  World’s  Sunday-school  Association  and  the  missionary 
boards  at  work  in  Latin-America  should  confer  as  to  practicable 
measures  for  providing  cooperatively  in  Spanish  and  Portuguese  the 
literature  so  urgently  required. 

5.  There  is  no  greater  missionary  agency  in  Latin-America  than 
the  Bible,  and  no  greater  need  than  the  circulation  and  study  of  it. 


27 


We  should  give  our  help  to  all  the  agencies  which  are  promoting  the 
publication  and  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  in  Latin-America. 

6.  We  find  a deep  desire  throughout  all  the  Latin-American  lands 
for  a larger  measure  of  intelligence  and  interest  in  their  work  on  the 
part  of  the  home  church.  In  Sunday-school  gatherings  and  literature 
at  home,  and  in  church  papers  and  missionary  publications  of  the 
home  churches  we  should  do  everything  in  our  power  to  secure  a larger 
presentation  of  the  religious  needs  of  Latin-America  and  the  oppor- 
tunity and  demand  for  the  enlargement  of  the  work  which  will 
bring  to  the  people  of  these  great  countries  the  blessings  which  those 
nations  enjoy  which  possess  an  open  Bible,  and  build  their  public 
education  and  their  national  life  on  its  precepts. 


